source: London Town

I really enjoyed this movie, it's a light drama about a complex subject and era and a kid living a difficult time in it. It's true that it feels a bit naive and unrealistic in many ways, but the good acting, likeable characters, bit of humour and the music (I'm not even a fan of punk music or The Clash, but it was a plus for me) made me forgive the lack of realism and enjoy a light-hearted adventure. Also, as I've been living in London for the last 8 years, I really enjoy watching movies portraying the city as it was before I got here, so this is an interesting aspect of the movie for me. Great movie, not as serious as some may wanted it to be, but very enjoyable.

...YOU'RE IN LUCK! Being that it was a British production, I hadn't even heard about it until recently. And since it was very "Clash themed", I had to check out LONDON TOWN. It was a nice, not-totally believable late-70's period piece that breezed by in about 90 minutes. And you also get to hear "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" again, which will surely put a smile on your face. I couldn't really buy all of the adult life responsibilities the boy was saddled with, nor could I see the Clash's lead singer befriending a high school kid to that degree, but I just went with it. I was unfamiliar with all of the actors except D. Scott, N. McElhone & Jonathan Rhys Meyers (as Joe Strummer), but they were all quite serviceable. The lead (Daniel Huttlestone) looks like somebody we may be seeing big things from down the road. So do check this out if you're still a fan of the Clash all these years later.

No, this is not the greatest movie of all time and it probably won't win any awards but if you're looking for a fun, touching and nostalgic little movie for a warm Sunday afternoon, then give this one a watch. I'm also a huge Clash fan/softie so I'm a bit biased which also explains my appreciation for such a movie. It's fairly well packed with colorful characters, scenes and musical performances. Jonathan Rhys Meyers kills it as Joe Strummer, Daniel Huttlestone carries the movie from start to finish, and Nell Williams is perfect as the rebel punk teen girlfriend. Solid cast overall and some heartwarming moments like when Vivian looks on as Shay plays the piano for her for the first time. Yes, it's a somewhat predictable movie but in the end I didn't care. It was fun to just get lost for a bit back in the early Clash days, even though it's kind of a strange place for a coming-of-age type movie to be. Just don't expect a raw punk account of those days and you'll be just fine.

They tried to capture 70s but it's not as good, it's obvious it's a modern day film, and that spoils it for me

I liked this movie more than I thought I would. When I first heard about it my first thought was "why not just watch Rude Boy" if you want to see a great movie about The Clash. As I discovered, this isn't a movie about The Clash and Joe Strummer at all. In fact, they didn't even need to be included. It's really the story of a 15 year old boy who's forced to grow up in a big hurry. Shay lives with his dad and little sister in a suburb of London. He clashes with his father, who owns a piano repair shop and drives a cab to make ends meet. Shay is bullied by other kids in his neighbourhood and dreams of moving to London and living with his mother who ditched her family and is now living in a squat. Shay somehow thinks that his father is a loser and he's the reason his mother took off. Shay's dad, who is actually a good, hardworking man but a bit broken, sends his son off to London to pick up some piano parts and he meets Vivian, a punk girl, on the train. She introduces Shay to the music of The Clash, and when he gets back home at the end of the day, he begins to transform himself into a punk. Shay's dad has an accident moving a piano and is laid up in the hospital for several weeks. This is where the movie gets really interesting. Shay is forced to step up and take care of his little sister. He learns how to drive his dad's cab and does everything he can to try to keep a roof over his little family's head. He goes to London and tracks down his mother who turns out to be a promiscuous, drug and alcoholic abusing wannabe musician who you know will never make it. Eventually, Shay realizes what his mother really is, and that his dad is a good and decent man. Along the way, he meets Joe Strummer. There are actors playing the rest of the band but I don't remember any of them saying a single word in the movie - as I said, this isn't a movie about The Clash. Shay gives Strummer a lift in his cab (while he's dressed as a woman so he looks older), romance blooms with Vivian, and he learns what his father has to deal with every day. Eventually, Shay gets into a tussle with some skinheads at a Clash show and ends up in a jail cell with guess who, Joe Strummer. He discovers that Vivian is actually a rich girl (but a really sweet one) and he breaks it off with her. He ends up back at home, determined to save his father's business and enlists Joe Strummer's help to make it happen (without actually asking Strummer). Again, another appearance by Joe Strummer that's not very realistic and not really necessary - the story stands on its own. I'm a huge fan of The Clash - they've always been my favourite band but I thought their inclusion in the movie was unnecessary. Perhaps it was a marketing ploy to draw Clash and punk fans to the movie. What I found most interesting about this movie was the family dynamic, and one kid's struggle to survive in malaise era England. It's a great story and really well played by all of the actors in a very watchable and entertaining movie.

Introducing the only band that matters to a new generation = Priceless. Excellent soundtrack. Fair enough there area few factual errors, but totally enjoyable nonetheless. Jonathan Rhys Meyers did a wonderful job as Joe Strummer. The entire idea of the power struggle was portrayed in a real way that the people could understand - combining a romantic story with real life. As stated previously Excellent soundtrack. Congrats all round on a Job well done. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

England in the late 1970s was not a pleasant time for much of the country. Unemployment began to rise, and the government didn't do much to respond (this probably contributed to Margaret Thatcher's rise to power). Derrick Borte's "London Town" focuses on a working class boy who gets into The Clash while his father is in the hospital. The movie is both about hope for the future, and about love of music. One scene features people debating The Sex Pistols vs. The Clash. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Joe Strummer, who enters the boy's life. It's not a masterpiece, but worth seeing. The rest of the cast includes Dougray Scott and Natascha McElhone (of "The Truman Show").

I like low-budget British films, I like films based around the working-class, I like movies based around the British music scene and I like era based movies such as the 60s, 70s and 80s. London Town ticks all the above boxes, but does it deliver? Not so much. London Town is based in 1970s London, its a sort of coming of age movie which follows a teenage boy trying to find himself in a world which is moving fast and he simply has to grow up quick in order to keep up. His mother has left to pursue her own music career and he is left with his younger sister and father, when he father is injured and hospitalised, he is forced to become the man of the house and provide for the family. He meets a girl on a trip into London and along with some help from his Mother, he is introduced to The Clash and the lifestyle that goes along with following such a band. The Clash are a plot and marketing point, they aren't a primary focus. They aren't all that important in the end, similar to the Spike Island movie in which The Stone Roses are used in a similar way. A big problem I had with London Town is that it really fails to deliver on any level of realism and in failing to do so you feel very detached from the characters and story lines. We are introduced to many different characters from many different backgrounds and everyone seems to be the ultimate stereotype of their character. Every character is portrayed as the extreme. It tries for emotion, really hard at times but ultimately doesn't reach the levels it tries to and feels quite poorly finished in the end. The main actor does a pretty decent job but the supporting cast don't offer too much in terms of quality, everything just feels a little wooden and the script is lacking, resulting in no real stand out scenes. It isn't all doom and gloom though, some of the settings are very nicely done and you do feel transported back to 1970's England. The story, while clichéd, watered down and predictable, is a feel good, coming of age drama and there were moments which I enjoyed, it's just a shame they were few and far between. I won't be watching London Town again and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as it is quite a forgettable movie. IT has a decent run-time though which helps keep the pacing solid and there will be people out there who will appreciate it more than myself. 5/10

A second 'goof' was that Shay bought the English version of the Clash first album (green cover) and replayed 'White man in Hammersmith...' repeatedly in his bedroom. This single only appeared on the US release of the album, in the blue cover. Still. It achingly needed to be called London Calling, but I guess the Clash wouldn't allow that. I'd love to know what happened there. The film itself is so full of extreme stereotypes I wondered who it was aimed at. I mean the Clash were very 'marmite' as a band. Clash fans are all 50plus now, and without being a fan and having a bit of knowledge about the band and the Clash's outlook (on life and Rock'n' roll) it would be too fantastical to add up. As a Clash fan, frankly it was barely OK.